


A Wealth of Experiences

by EmerialynCodeVenice



Series: Djinn Dirk AU [4]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BUBBLE BATHS GONE WILD!!!, Djinn Dirk Oneshots, Intro To Modern Technology, M/M, Mention of Heart Powers, Mentions Insomnia/Sensory-Deprivation Trauma, More Like A Lodge In Middle of Nowhere, Oh No He's Hot, Recovering/Traumatized Dirk, Rub-A-Dub In The Tub!, Sleepy Cuddles, Televisions are MAGIC, They FINALLY Reach Civilization, good enough, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 08:50:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13244760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmerialynCodeVenice/pseuds/EmerialynCodeVenice
Summary: Dirk and Jake finally reach their destination after leaving the ruins of the Cavern of Hearts. It's a simple lodge, to themselves, but it's certainly filled with enough things to fill Dirk's eyes with wonder.AKA: Where Djinn Dirk is finally introduced to the magic that is electricity and bubble baths. They prove to be a lot more to handle than they expected… Dirk: Be Oblivious Bubble Covered Hot Guy. Jake: Pretend You’re Not Gawking





	A Wealth of Experiences

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Part Four of the Djinn Dirk Oneshot series! I hope you've been enjoying the other ones. I return to college tomorrow, so updates will be more sporadic. As a result, I wrote this longer one to hopefully tide over until later this week. Please Comment and Enjoy!

                                                                                

Your eyes widen as you step through the threshold and are hit with a distinct, _woody_ smell. It wasn’t like the trees that littered around the former Cavern of Hearts, or even the winding, vine-populated trees of the jungle further in, but, rather, a distinctly, _deeper_ scent that abstractly reminded you of Jake.

Speaking about Jake, he was now dusting his boots off on the mat in front— _you’re quick to mimic him—_ and smiling broadly as he gestures towards the inside of the wood lodge. “Well, it’s not much, but it’s certainly ours for the meantime. What do you think, treasure?”

If you had been any less stunned by your surroundings, you might have concentrated on the fact that Jake was calling you his _treasure_ every so often these last few days— _ever since your insomnia snafu at the beginning of your trip; he seemed to notice calling you… treasure… calmed you_. As it was, you were completely overtaken by the interior of the lodge, stunned that this was to be your home for whatever amount of time that Jake so wished.

Your amber eyes rake in the view, eagerly taking in the number of things that you had never seen before— _or, at least, you were rather certain you had never seen before… it was hard to tell since you still didn’t recall your life from before you were trapped in the Cavern of Hearts for thousands of years—_ and turn your head as you scan the room.

The entire interior was made of varnished wood, obviously well-kept given their gleaming shine and deep color. The floor was obviously made of the same stuff, but wonderfully organic with its rough edges and ridges that gave it more character than the walls. Thick rugs covered most of the floor, each with different patterns and, while less ornate than those in the Cavern of Hearts, felt more precious and worthwhile. Shelves also covered walls, structured near the few doorways and next to the narrow staircase leading up to another level, filled with what appeared to be books or simple decorations. When you crane your head to look over the large, plush couch— _yeah, it was couch, right? There had been a few back in the cavern, but different like the rugs—_ you see a large, stone fireplace with a what appeared to be the remains of a recent fire.

There were also… shiny things. Like, on the wall, there was a wide, rectangular metal screen that didn’t seem to serve any purpose— _not that you were going to mention that to Jake, not wanting to look even more foolish from your many misunderstandings._ Through one of the doorways, you also see the glistening shine of silver, but you honestly can’t figure out what room needs so much silver in it and assume that it must also be full of ‘technology’ or whatever.

Jake had told you that the lodge didn’t belong to him, but rather it was something that he was renting out from the innkeeper a short distance away while he was in the area. As a result, it was fully furnished and stocked with all living needs— _like food-container called a ‘fridge’ which reminded you of something called an ‘icebox’ at the back of your mind—_ so that Jake could come and go as he pleased while here. He said it was rather perfect for you to gather your bearings and rest up before deciding your next move. You had no reason to not to trust him— _and, even if you did, it didn’t matter because you’d follow him anyway—_ and was content to simply experience the world around you.

“Well,” says Jake finally, startling you from your thoughts to look at him pulling off his boots and setting them close a wooden bench by the door. “I’ll assume your silence is approval, unless I’m wrong, chap?”

“No!” you blurt out, reddening at your outburst even as you move your head with a definitive shake. “It’s wonderful, really! I just…”

You trail off, amber eyes widening once more as you take in the lodge once again, a sort of _itch_ beneath your skin to run through every doorway, look over every last thing, study it, see how it works, but, mixed with fear, a nervous apprehension that constantly followed you and made you want to stay close to Jake, yet you wanted to—

Jake snorts, breaking your concentration again as he smiles warmly at you, nodding his head. “Go on, Dirk,” his voice soft. “Who am I of all people to keep a gent from exploring to his heart’s content?”

 _‘You’re everything,’_ you want to say, but chicken out. Instead, you decide that he means what he said and hurriedly pull off your boots, blushing when your fingers tangle in the laces. Jake chuckles and kneels down, gently unwrapping your hands before pulling the ropes binding the material to your feet loose. He then does the same to your other foot, the contact of his hand to your ankle seeming to _burn_ you with unreadable emotion.

You’re entirely too still as he pulls them off, his head turning up as he tilts his chin with a roguish smile on his full lips. “Well, mate? Don’t worry about your stuff, go on and have a gander at everything. I’ll be right with you in a moment.”

You swallow, _hypnotized_ by the emeralds that are his eyes— _you don’t think he has magic, but it really feels like it sometimes—_ before jerking a nod and standing, stumbling slightly over the threshold before feeling the wood floor beneath the wooly socks that Jake borrowed you. You’re torn between tearing them off— _they were sweaty and gross after hiking for so long, and you know that Jake had said something about ‘laundry’—_ in order to feel the wood floor beneath you, but ultimately decide to keep them on.

“This is the living room,” says Jake, in a way that people did when they were stating something they had forgotten but believed important— _or, at least, in the way **Jake** did; you weren’t familiar with anyone else. _ “The door to your left is the kitchen and the staircase over there is to the bedrooms and bathroom. Not much else I’m afraid, but it’s a quaint place.”

Your hair flops as you nod absentmindedly, going over the words repeatedly like a sea sponge desperate for water. It was all incredible, and you couldn’t wait to figure it all out.

You step into the ‘kitchen,’ staring in wonder at the many ‘appliances,’ as Jake called them on your way here. The floor here is different, a type of stone that is cool beneath Jake’s socks but not unpleasant, and the countertops are some sort of marble. On the walls, hung what appeared to be copper pots and pans— _there hadn’t been many cooking items in the Cavern of Hearts, but there had been a few which allowed you to remember their names loosely enough—_ with other assorted objects you didn’t recognize.

You cautiously running your fingers over the cool surface of what appears to be two metal doors. While you knew metal to be naturally cold, you realized that this appliance was at a lower temperature than anything else in the room. Excitedly, you wonder what could possibly be inside— _this had to be the ‘fridge’ that held ice and food—_ before sliding down to the handle. Debating with yourself for a moment, you tug on the door. When nothing happens, you’re confused. Perhaps it was… locked? But, no, Jake had said that there was only a key to the front door, so why…?

You frown, studying the metal door before theorizing that you hadn’t pulled hard enough. Or, perhaps, the magic that supplied these appliances did not answer to anyone but Jake and the innkeeper. Well, Jake had given you approval to command everything here, so you’d try again _—_

You _wrench_ at the door, but quickly figure out that this is a mistake as it bursts open— _huh, so it really just needed to be pulled on a little harder… though probably not that hard—_ and sends you flying backwards. You panic, letting go of your grip of the door, arms waving erratically for something to hold, and _slipping_ because these ‘ _socks_ ’ didn’t have much grip and—

“Whoa, now!”

A breath forces itself from your chest as your descent stops, something long— _and familiar—_ reaching around your back and holding you up before you can hit your head against the ground. You blink, staring up at Jake’s startled green eyes before smiling sheepishly. “Uh…”

Jake huffs out a breath, though his eyes are tense and you guiltily realize that you must have worried him— _how foolish can you get? He leaves you for one moment and you nearly died from magical metal doors and non-gripping socks._ “Sorry, Jake.”

“It’s fine, dove,” answers Jake, his smile returning to normal as he slowly set you back on your feet before removing his hands— _you nearly frown at the lost of contact before catching yourself, what was wrong with you? You were getting too greedy—_ and gesturing around. “So, realize the wonders of magnetic refrigerator doors? I swear, they make those things far too tough to handle, puts every hungry-fool to shame when they do just as you did.”

“So it wasn’t… silly?” you ask before you can stop yourself, face bright as you quickly look at the ground in mortification. Honestly, when would you _stop_ embarrassing yourself?

To your relief, Jake just laughs and shakes his head. “Golly no! And, besides, even if it were, I’d reckon that you have all the right in the world to do a few silly things. Not every day you’re first introduced to the modern era, I do say!”

A smile tugs at your lips and you duck down again, though a warmer feeling than embarrassment filling you. Jake was so understanding, you really couldn’t understand what he saw in you that made him think you were worth it.

“So,” you hear Jake say before you can say anything yourself. “Did you want anything in particular from the icebox—” _Ha,_ a part of you triumphs, _there **was** ice in there! _ “—or do you want to keep looking around?”

“Looking around,” you say automatically, though hovering close to Jake. You didn’t want your ridiculous curiosity to cause him trouble again. Honestly, you spent thousands of years in a deadly underground chamber— _though, to be fair, you were fairly invulnerable at the time—_ and you nearly die from a _door_.

Luckily, Jake just smiles and gestures towards the kitchen doorway into the living room once more. “Well, let’s not hamper our adventure any longer. If you do follow me, I shall show you something that I do believe will have you tickled pink.”

You blush and follow along willingly. You wonder how you got so lucky to have Jake be the one find you. You thought about it often— _very often for having only been a human again the last week and a half—_ about how lucky you were to be free, but, most of all, you thought about how amazing it was to know _Jake_.

_You think, even when you had first been alive, thousands and thousands of years ago, you didn’t have anyone quite like Jake in your life…_

_…you’re not sure how you feel about that thought._

The two of you return to the living room, the wooden texture and bumps of the flooring so different from the type of material that made up the kitchen floor. You’re not quite sure what you expected for him to show you, but you find you’re not disappointed as he sets you on the couch in front of the wide metal rectangle.

Anticipation fills you as he fiddles with something behind the reflective rectangle— _for a moment you wonder if it’s some sort of mirror, but disregard it; it’d be a terrible one if so—_ before reaching down to what appeared to be a… black stick? No, it had… buttons— _for lack of a better word—_ on it. Only, the buttons were blue—

Jake clicks a button at the top of the black stick and the _reflective screen lights up._

You jump for a moment, not expecting the sudden onslaught of color, but, after a moment, you feel your jaw slowly drop as you take in the sight before you.

“I prefer to call it an ‘idiot-box,’” says Jake ruefully, a grin on his face as he regards your puzzled wonder. “But in reality it’s called a ‘television.’ It’s used for entertainment, though I don’t dally my time in front of it much when there’s real adventures to be had on foot. Though, I certainly do have a few blue ladies I—”

“It’s magic!” you exclaim finally, eyes widening as you stare at the glowing screen with images passing on it rapidly— _and it was a testament to your intrigue, that you had actually **interrupted** Jake—_and you can’t believe this. It was more incredible than anything you’d ever seen, even with the thousands of treasures that existed in the Cavern of Hearts. Sure, they could command armies or gleam as bright as a star, but _this_ …! It was beyond words.

“Magic?” asks Jake puzzled, his face pinching in confusion before smoothing out with… a hint of a grimace? “Ah, yes, it was magic that… never mind.”

He waves a hand when you glance at him, wondering what he was about to say. “I mean, Dirk, do you remember what I told you about electricity?”

“That it powers things?” you venture, wracking your brain for the many conversations between you. While you hung on to Jake’s every word, he did like to talk quite a bit. “I just thought that ‘electricity’ was just the name of it. The class or aspect.”

“Well it’s, wait,” his face returns to puzzled as he stares at you, “Class? Aspect? I have not come across those words before, I’m afraid.”

Wrenching your eyes from the ‘television,’ it’s now _your turn_ to look at Jake in confusion. “Those are titles,” you say hesitantly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “A class describes the category of magic your power takes shape as, generally based on personality, while an aspect is your element and dictates your role and powers.”

His eyes widen. “Good gracious, Dirk, are you telling me that magic was _common_ during your time? I mean, I knew that something had to be keeping you sprightly and unchanged for thousands of years, but the way you talk about it…”

You fidget, wondering why the conversation took this sudden term. You’re… not really sure why you remembered classes and aspects— _it’s not like you had dealt with them actively since being imprisoned… and you didn’t recall much of anything from before that—_ but… you did. “Yeah,” you say finally, though you don’t know for certain. “I… don’t really remember that much about it.”

Jake looks like he wants to ask more, but seems to sense your sudden somberness— _you hate that you make him limit himself; you really **hate it** —_and puts on a cheery grin. “Well, by joe that was an interesting tidbit! You see, Dirk, even with you looking at me as some sort of ‘connoisseur on modern doohickey’s,’ you have far more interesting tales to teach!”

“Not… not really” you protest— _how could he say that to someone who couldn’t even remember what his last name had once been? There was nothing interesting for you to say—_ before returning your gaze to the television. “If… if not magic, how does this work?”

Jake opens his mouth, but then closes it, pursing his lips in thought. “I… reckon that I have no idea,” he finally said, making you snort— _blushing a moment after you did, but feeling relieved when he flashed you a charming smile._ “Why don’t ask my good friend, _Google_?”

“…Google?” you repeat, frowning and tensing despite yourself. You glance around, wondering where this person was. You hadn’t seen someone come in, but, maybe, it was the innkeeper or someone else that had come when you were occupied with the kitchen. “Who’s… who’s that?”

Jake seems to stare at you for a moment before shaking his head with a chuckle. “It’s, well, it’d probably be easier to show you— _I think I may be saying that quite a lot, so sorry—_ since I can now. I didn’t bring it with me into the jungle, which may seem like an oversight, but it’s not like there are _reception_ _towers_ out in the great unknown so I didn’t see any point—”

“Jake?” you ask tentatively. While you loved anything he said, could listen to him talk for days, you had a point that there was a point to this ramble.

He shook his head, picking up something from a nearby counter before sitting next to you— _close, so close—_ and bringing up a small, rectangular screen in front of you both. You tense, excited. It looked like a smaller version of the television, and you were pleased to find out you were correct when it lit up as well.

“Well, you see, Dirk, this is called a ‘cellphone,’ in popular jargon. It allows me to speak to people from long distances away and go on a rather bizarre place called the ‘internet.’ On the internet, there is a site called ‘Google,’ that lets me look up just about anything that I can possibly imagine.”

Your head swam, trying to wrap your mind around all these new concepts was… difficult. Jake apparently sees you frowning and grins apologetically. “Sorry, treasure, it’s all a bit much to take, isn’t it?”

You nod slowly, gingerly taking the phone from him and amazed as it responded to various touches. “I… sorry, I’m trying.”

“I know you are,” says Jake. “It’s my fault for pouring this all on you at once. We can look up the oddities of Google later. Are you tired? Or, rather, would you like a bath? We certainly haven’t been able to wash up properly thus far. You probably have thousands of years of gold dust clinging to you.” He barks out a laugh. “Certainly look like it!”

You frown, self-conscious. It… you didn’t mean to be. While you don’t think you got dirtier from being imprisoned for so long, you were suddenly aware that you certainly hadn’t _cleaned_ either. You… you obviously couldn’t remember the last time you had been cleaned either. Had it bothered Jake? All this time did it—

“Dirk?”

You glance up, seeing Jake’s worried green eyes in front of you.

“Is something wrong?” he asks softly and you shake your head, a spot of determination filling you.

“Is there somewhere I can… take a bath?” you ask slowly. You’re well aware this is one the first— _if not **the** first—_ requests you had made of Jake, but the desire to be clean was suddenly very strong.

He studies you for a moment before nodding, slipping one tanned hand beneath your pale ones— _the contrast was so visible—_ and pulling you to your feet, placing the cell phone on the cabinet beside you. “The bath is upstairs, next to the bedrooms.”

You nod and follow him through the living room, weaving around various pieces of furniture until you reach the narrow, wood staircase. There wasn’t enough room for you both to comfortably go up it side by side, so you— _sadly—_ had to let go of Jake’s hand and follow him up step by step.

The second floor is much like the first, though with far less open space. There was a single hallway with doorways on both sides, paintings and other decorations filling the empty spaces on the walls. You glance around, curiosity filling you once more as Jake leads you to the farthest doorway, opening it to reveal a rather small room with strange white… furniture?

Jake is, obviously, unsurprised to see anything in this room and walks over to what you identify to be some sort of tub, turning the silver knobs above what you think to be some sort of faucet. To your amazement, water begins to flow the moment he does. _Honestly, there was no one around to supply the water and you didn’t see any water containers, how was this not magic?_

“This, Dirk, is a bathtub. You likely had them in your time, or, er, perhaps not,” he rectifies, biting his lip for a moment. “But, either way, this is used for cleaning! I personally prefer a quick shower myself, to remove all the gunk and other unmentionables, but I do believe that if any one deserves a good soak, it’s you.”

He beckons you over and you hesitantly go over, slightly cramped in the space, before putting your hand beneath the water after another moment of hesitation. It was… warm, to your amazement. How was that possible? You were suddenly hit with another wave of apprehension, wondering if you would ever learn all there was to this modern era…

“It’s amazing,” you say, instead of voicing your fears. You’re rewarded with Jake’s toothy grin.

“I reckon you might be right there,” says Jake cheerily. “Surrounded by these thingamabobs day in and day out, a man gets rather put out from having every last thing done for him. But, I do agree that it can be efficient if nothing else.”

Jake points over to where some different colored and shaped bottles sat on the edge of the bathtub. “Here, mate, these here are some bath soaps. Why don’t you take a few sniffs, see what you like, and dump some in? I reckon I should go find the towels.”

While hesitant to be left on your own, you nod, not wanting to inconvenience him, and he flashes you another blinding grin before exiting the bathroom. You return your attention to the bathtub, watching with interest as it continued to fill with water, before turning your attention to the ‘bath soaps’ lined on the edge.

Jake had said to drop a few of these into the tub… but which ones?

You scan the titles, bewildered when they all described _fruit_ of all things. You remembered there were quite a few rare perfumes in the Cavern of Hearts, so it wasn’t like you were completely unfamiliar to the idea of scent bottles, but you didn’t recall any of them being edible…

You shrug, deciding not to chance it, and randomly flip open the first one labeled _‘Passion Fruit’._ Immediately, the _strong¸_ nearly overpowering, smell of… fruit— _strawberries… grapes… and peaches… you knew those fruit—_ filled the air. You smelled good, but now you were curious about the others.

Trailing your fingers over the tub, you pick a bottle labeled _‘Flower Gardens’_ and pop it open. You wrinkle your nose, the sickly sweet scent of flowers— _well, what were you expecting?—_ filling your senses. It wasn’t that you didn’t like flowers— _especially after staying in a place where nothing could survive—_ it was just their smell was somewhat… overwhelming.

You quickly set it down, picking up the orange-colored bottle next to it and cautiously lifting it to your nose. Despite yourself, you feel a smile cross your lips, quite liking this _‘Orange Blossom’_ mix better than the others. It was a mix of both fruit and flowers, a nice balance between the two.

Eagerly, you pour some into the filling bathtub, but are disappointed to see the orange color stay for a moment before disappearing. You frown, dumping a bit more in. When the same thing happens, you decide to pour the whole thing, theorizing that it needed all of it to work properly. Maybe that was why there were so many bottles?

Your eyes widen as bubbles begin to form, the relaxing scent of _Orange Blossom_ filling the air. As water continues to form, you glance at the other bottles of bath soaps. Jake… had said that you smelled bad, right? You mean, it wasn’t like you could do anything while trapped as a spirit, but… perhaps you should add some more?

Before you can stop yourself, you’re reaching for the bottle of _Passion Fruit_. However, your hands, sticky from the _Orange Blossom_ , make your fingers slip and knock the bottle of _Passion Fruit_ over. You watch in horror as you knock over _all_ of the bath soaps into the water, the bottles _splashing_ you before disappearing beneath the bubbles.

Your amber eyes widen as you realize the bubbles and water were _much_ higher than before, rising steadily and threatening to overflow the bathtub. You panic, looking at the silver knobs and trying to remember which one that Jake had used to turn them on. You turn the left one, but the water just begins to pour even _faster_.

You yelp as the water spills over the sides, soaking your borrowed socks and pants. Frantically, you grab another knob, leaning over to twist it as sweet-smelling bubbles somehow rise over your head. You twist, but for whatever reason it starts to _rain_ from above and now you’re hand is _slipping_ and now you’re _falling into the_ _tub_ and _there_ _bubbles **everywhere**_ —

“Great gadzooks! What in the blazes—”

You’re barely submerged for a few moments before you feel something _pull_ you up from the back of your soaked, sticking shirt— _this… Jake saving you from your foolishness was becoming a trend, wasn’t it?—_ and you emerge, sputtering and coughing out soapy water from your lungs.

“Holy moley, Dirk, are you alright!?”

Coughing violently, you sit up in the warm water, but can’t open your eyes. It  _stings!_

“Dirk! Did you get soap in your eyes? That’s mighty unpleasant—” _Yeah, to say the least._ “—but I promise it’ll go away in a moment. Just blink as much as you can, alright?”

Struggling, you manage to open your eyes— _just a fraction—_ but immediately regret it as the stinging just becomes _worse_. You whimper, blinking as much as you can from beneath your shades— _or, at least, until you feel Jake take them off and set them somewhere else—_ while Jake makes comforting sounds and rubs soothing circles in your back— _which was pretty hard given that your shirt, his shirt, was sticking to your body like mold to a pillar._

“Shhh, Dirk, it’s alright…  I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have taken so long…”

After a few moments, the stinging leaves your eyes and you find your breath is now firmly under your control. You look around, blowing white foam from your face and batting away translucent bubbles, water swishing under you as you look out from your cocoon of suds. You don’t hear the water running anymore— _Jake must have turned it off during your flailing—_ but the water still fills the bathtub to the very edge, lapping over every time you move.

Suddenly feeling very sheepish, you stare out at Jake nervously. Was he mad?

However, there was something of an affectionate, if strained, smile on Jake’s face. “You must have been out of your depth, weren’t you? Though, I must admit, you certainly know how to make an adventure out of the simplest of things, don’t you?”

_Huh, you suddenly had the urge to drown yourself again…_

“Sorry,” you say, mortified. “I swear, I’ll clean it up—”

Jake shook his head. “We’ll worry about that later. For now…” He reaches over and picks up one of the floating bottles, the one labeled _Orange Blossom_ , which was now only partially filled, and wiggles it in the air. “Were there any scents you liked? I personally don’t use the stuff, but it seems you certainly enjoy their use.”

Your sure that your face is redder than a ruby right now. “That was an accident!” you blurt out, chagrined. “I… I wanted to smell better, but I didn’t know how much to put—”

“Whoa, whoa!” Jake held up his hands peaceably. “Sorry, Dirk, I didn’t mean to sound like a I was throwing a paddy or anything. I was honestly asking.”

 _How could this get any worse?_ “The… the one you’re holding,” you mumble finally. “the _Orange Blossom_ … the others were too strong…”

Jake let out a considering _‘hmm’_ noise, his thought-process completely foreign to you. “I see. Well, that’s an interesting tidbit. Anyway,” he stops, his eyes widening as he looks at you once more. “Jiminy Christmas! You… you’re still wearing clothes, aren’t you?”

You swallow, nodding miserably. It would probably take all day to dry out the clothes Jake had borrowed you…

Jake swallows, his face steadily becoming redder— _it was rather humid in the… ‘bathroom’ now, wasn’t it? You hope he wasn’t overheating—_ as he awkwardly gestured toward you. “Er, you should… probably take those off. Not as, uh, efficient and all…”

You nod, agreeing that bathing went far better without clothes— _not that you had had a proper bath in… well, you obviously couldn’t remember—_ and reach down to grab at the cloth bunching at your torso, lifting with some difficulty as it stuck uncomfortably to your body. You’re about halfway, shirt bunched around your armpits and covering your face, when it gets stuck.

You fidget, making a small groan when it seems you’re trapped in this uncomfortable position of your arms above your head and the shirt stuck around your face. “Jake? Help?”

A moment of silence passes— _irrationally, you fear he’s left—_ when you hear him swallow and breathe out. “Er, uh, yes, I should… I should help.” You hear him clear his throat, before you feel his warm hands against the skin below where the shirt is bunched at your armpits—his touch _tickling_ the sensitive skin and warming you up for reasons other than the hot bath. “Well, don’t make a fuss, I got you…”

It takes some more struggling— _and you’re sure to squeeze your eyes shut to prevent any more soapy water from entering them—_ but Jake manages to pull the shirt over your head, a sigh of relief leaving you as the constricting feeling leaves. You smile, grinning at Jake. “Thanks, Jake.”

His face is still bright red and he seems to glance down at the floor before looking at you once more, clearing his throat again— _you hope he wasn’t getting ill… you had no idea how to deal with such things—_ before gesturing downwards. “Um, er, good job, mate. Now… uh, you should probably get your stockings and, well, trousers…”

You nod, bringing your waist and pulling the cloth down— _much easier than your shirt—_ and taking the shorts and socks off in one go— _you grin, look who’s getting competent with clothing now?—_ before hesitantly handing them to Jake. He seems to be a bit upset at their state because he quickly grabs them and puts them into a… metal basket to the side without another word.

You sit in the water, bubbles still covering every inch of you and the walls around, and wonder what you’re supposed to do next. You knew that bathing comprised of getting clean, but… wasn’t getting in the water enough? What else was there?

“Jake,” you ask before you stop yourself, looking at him and seeming to bring him out of whatever thoughts he had been thinking— _you feel bad, he was probably thinking about something more important than your trivial worries._ “What… what comes next?”

He stares at you blankly before his eyes widen and he snaps his fingers. “Oh! You mean to bathing?” You nod. “Well, uh, generally you wash all your, er, fleshy parts, and, uh, your hair…”

“Hair?” you ask, wracking your memory. You do recall there had been some special potions in the Cavern of Hearts for hair— _you had looked at those a lot, given that few travelers ever took them back as their prize—_ but obviously you had not used any of them yourself. You look around before hesitantly pointing at the bottles on the edge of the tub, worried that you would knock them over again if you actually touched them. “With those?

Jake shook his head. “No, I must admit I’m no expert, but generally one washes their hair with ‘shampoo’ and ‘conditioner’. There are quite a few—my more feminine-oriented friends can certainly rattle off their preferences—but, like I said, I don’t dally much time with them. But let’s see here…” He plucks up two random bottles from the far side of the tub, separate from the bath soaps, labeled appropriately to the words he just mentioned.

If possible, his face seems to become even redder— _you were starting to get worried—_ and he gestures for you to come closer. You stand, thinking he wants you to get out—

 _“_ No!” You freeze, frightened by his louder voice. “Um, er, I’m sorry, chest— _treasure_. I just wanted you to lean your head over, alright? I’ll… I’ll show you how to wash your hair.”

Relaxing— _as long as he wasn’t mad at you, you could handle anything—_ you sit fully back down, careful not to slip, and lean your head over expectantly. After a moment, you see him flip open the shampoo’s container’s lid, squeeze out some clear liquid, and move his hand over to your hair.

He seems hesitant, but when you don’t move his hand slowly presses down to your scalp, before rubbing around in circles, catching all your hair in his gentle, sudsy grip. You press into his hand, humming appreciatively— _he seems to freeze before moving again, but it happened so fast that you think you imagined it—_ as the sweet sensation washes over you. It’s very different from skin to skin contact. Less intense was probably the right phrase for it, but no less pleasant.

Your skin prickled and that old, familiar feeling rises in your throat again, making you remember about a week ago when you had been having trouble sleeping. Jake had taken you into his arms and rubbed the back of your neck and shoulders, relaxing you and making you feel extremely pleasant—a lot like now. Your throat rumbles and you let out a long noise.

Jake’s hand freezes and you open your eyes— _when had they closed?—_ and you look over curiously. Jake stares back at you, lips parted and emerald eyes seeming wider than ever. You fidget, feeling as if those eyes were trying to look _through_ you… Had you done something wrong?

“Jake?” you ask after a moment.

He shakes his head, adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows visibly. “Nothing, pet,” he says, his voice slightly strained. “Just… we should wash you off, alright? Unless you want to stay in longer? Whatever you like, Dirk.”

You ponder the question, feeling like he was honestly asking for your opinion. While the bath felt good, you _were_ starting to feel a bit weak, probably tired from all the hiking you two had been doing. The steam seemed to be filling your head as well, making your thoughts muddled and slow. You nod and Jake lets out a shaky breath— _the steam seemed to be bothering him too—_ before beckoning you up.

You slowly stand, bubbles clinging to your body and water sliding down. It was a very peculiar, but not unpleasant, feeling. Jake seems to avoid making eye contact as he fiddles with some of the silver knobs, the spray from above returning once again and pouring down on you.

“Can you wash off by yourself?” asks Jake abruptly, his voice a bit strung out. You feel guilty, putting him through so much trouble. And you could see that he had random splashes of water on his clothes and trousers as well. He probably wanted to change, or, at the very least, be away from your incompetence for a while.

You nod, glancing at the knob that Jake had touched. “So… to turn off the rain, I just twist this one?”

He nods, brow furrowed. “Uhm, uh, yes, that one. Quite cheeky, um, I mean, clever.” Suds continue to wash off your body, making you nearly clean. “If that’s, if that’s all, I think… I’ll go change, that alright, Di— _Dirk_?”

You swallow, nodding uncomfortably. He barely wastes any time after that to quickly abscond from the bathroom— _though leaving the door slightly open, no doubt to hear you if you have any trouble—_ and you sigh as the last of the bubbles wash off your body. You wondered if the day would ever come when you weren’t causing him problems…

o0o0o

When you leave the bathroom, you notice that there is light coming from all the ceilings… almost like candles or torches, but also _not_ because when you got near to them there didn’t seem to be any fire whatsoever. Bewildered, you chalk it up to this illustrious ‘electricity’ that Jake says powers everything. You were really curious to find how it worked, deciding to ask Jake about the ‘Google’ that apparently knew everything when you did. It would probably be a really useful resource to figuring out this new world.

You glance around before seeing one of the other hallway doorways open. “Jake?” you call out, stepping forward, moist, wet feet padding over the wood floor as you walk.

The farthest door _creaks_ as you open it, looking over the small bedroom— _decorated much like the downstairs, but with a wide bed in the middle and a large dresser with a mirror across from it with cabinets randomly spaced around—_ before seeing Jake rummaging through his pack on the bed.

At hearing you, or perhaps the door, he turns, thankfully much calmer, speaking as he does.

“Oh, hey, Dirk, did you—” He froze, staring at you with wide eyes without blinking. “Uh, er, Dirk… is there any reason you’re, ahem, not wearing clothes?”

You frown, pulling the fluffy white towel closer around your body, though it was too small to cover much more than your waist. “You… you took the clothes you gave me?” you offer hesitantly, unsure of what else you should have put on.

“Yes, but,” Jake makes a small sound at the back of his throat before abruptly turning back to his bag and seeming to _rip_ clothes out of it. “This is my fault. I know you don’t have clothes. How could I be so _stupid—_ ”

As he mutters to himself, you awkwardly stand in the doorway, wondering what you had done wrong this time. You were… covering anything extremely private— _and, even if you didn’t, you were both males, so it was fine, right? You… you can’t remember much about social rules—_ so… you weren’t sure why…

You blink, coming from your thoughts as Jake walks up to you, pushing what appeared to be a very large white shirt and… you think that Jake had called them ‘boxers’. Shrugging, you let go of the towel, it barely sticks to your body— _Jake looks away, making you feel even more self-conscious—_ as you pull on the white shirt and boxers, only taking a few tries to get it on correctly.

You glance at your shoulder where the white shirt is hanging off your shoulder. You don’t want to complain, but… “Jake? Should it…”

“It’s jammies, mate,” says Jake, clearing his throat yet again— _you wonder if he’s thirsty._ “Meant more for comfort while sleeping than practicality. Don’t worry, the next time we head out, I’ll make sure you’re better clothed with better garments. Will this be alright for now, mate?”

“Yes!” you blurt out, feeling your cheeks heat up at your outburst before lowering your voice. “Of course, Jake, I… I haven’t said this, at least not clearly, but… _thank you_ for everything. I… I would still be trapped there, in the Cavern of Hearts, if it wasn’t for you, and, you could have just left me there, you didn’t have to take me—”

A finger presses against your lips and you jolt, looking at Jake with wide eyes to see his expression twisted into a frown.

“Now, that’s enough of that,” he says sternly, seeming to regain what composure he had lost before. “I don’t know how it has gotten in your head that you’re worth _anything_ less than the entire world to be handed to you on a platter—” Your heart leaps. _He can’t mean that, can he?_ “—but I’m more than willing to tell you as many times as needed that you _are_ important Dirk. You should have never been trapped in that wretched hole in the first place.”

“You… you don’t know what I did,” you mumble. Of course, _you_ didn’t know what you had done to deserve such a thing— _your fault, yours and that **demon** —_but… it couldn’t have been _nothing_.

“I don’t care,” says Jake, a tad bit petulantly. “I just know the person I see in front of me now. And he’s a wonderful, if self-doubting, person who I am proud to have at my side for as long as he does wish it. Do you understand, Dirk?”

You nod slowly, stunned as every by his words. You’re not sure if you would ever get it, _ever_ see what he saw in you, but… you were fine with it as long as he kept seeing it.

Your eyes droop, suddenly tired from the long day of walking and all the excitement since entering the lodge. You felt a bit overwhelmed, if you were to be honest, and were actually looking forward to some shut-eye, if only so your mind stopped whirling for a moment.

“Tired, treasure?”

You nod and Jake leads you over to the bed, slowly laying down as you follow without complaint. The bed feels _amazing_ , like a soft cloud that you had no clue you wanted until you were here now. And, to think you had been sleeping on _gold_ for so many years…

Hesitating for only a moment, you cautiously move closer to Jake, placing your head near his neck and digging your nose into his shoulder, not wanting to see his reaction if it was negative. You were _pretty_ sure that it wouldn’t be, after all, he had been letting you sleep next to you every night since he discovered what he called ‘insomnia,’ but there was always that voice in the back of your mind telling you that you were _wrong_ and you shouldn’t be using any more of Jake’s goodwill…

A moment later, you feel Jake shift— _you panic, had you gone too far?—_ but relax when he moves onto his side, facing you and moving so that his lower legs were pressed against yours and his arm was now stroking yours. Your eyes droop, calmed— _yearning_ —for his touch as you snuggle further into his shoulder. At first, his touch had seemed to _burn_ — _probably from going so long without touch—_ but, now, while still intense was also… comforting. You were hyperaware of every inch of him, his feet tangling with yours, breath warm upon your cheek….

“Good night, Dirk,” whispers Jake, hand reaching up for a moment to caress your still damp hair before trailing down your arm in a soft, smooth motion…

You breathe out, closing your eyes.

“Good night, Jake.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hahaha! I had so much fun writing the scene with Jake and Dirk in the bath. Poor Jake, he's so distracted by wet, bubble-covered and oblivious Dirk... Thank goodness those bubbles had been there, or it might have been a different scene. 
> 
> So, you finally got some more info on Dirk's past. He apparently had Heart Powers... interesting. Wonder if that had anything to do with his imprisonment? 
> 
> And, phew, Dirk's mind is such an exhausting place. So confused by everything around him, memories always THREATENING to overwhelm him, insecurity and fears, hanging on to Jake's every word... yeah, poor darling. 
> 
> Also, editing was very quick with this one (packing and all). Probably will come back to check over it properly later. For now, please a Comment or Kudos to tell me what you think! I ALWAYS appreciate constructive feedback or thought-ramblings!


End file.
